The present invention relates to aircraft safety equipment and in particular, to an apparatus for quickly warning persons in danger of being struck by a disabled aircraft during an emergency landing procedure.
Aircraft such as airplanes and rotorcraft (i.e., helicopters) often experience a variety of emergency conditions such as engine failure, fires, lack of fuel, reduced oil pressure, and any condition which is outside normal operating conditions as specified in the guidelines for operating the specific aircraft. Many of these emergency conditions force a pilot of the aircraft to make an unscheduled off-airport and/or off-field landing. Such a landing can be extremely hazardous to those persons that are in the path of the aircraft. Since the emergency condition often results in engine failure, the disabled aircraft essentially glides to the selected emergency landing spot so quietly that a person in its path cannot hear the aircraft, is unaware of its unexpected approach, and is in extreme danger as a result. Furthermore, in many instances the spontaneity of the emergency and the speed of the aircraft are such that it is impossible to issue any kind of advance warning that could enable people on the ground or water to escape impending danger.
Therefore, it would be advantageous if an apparatus could issue a sufficient warning to people on land or on water that an emergency condition exists on the aircraft, and that the aircraft poses a threat to those in the immediate area.
Under normal operating conditions most aircraft travel forward at great speeds, and the slightest protrusion from the body of the aircraft can have a significant effect on its aerodynamics in terms of increased drag and alterations in handling characteristics. Therefore, it is critical that an apparatus which warns of the presence of an emergency condition be unobtrusive and does not create a significant effect on the aerodynamic characteristics of the aircraft during normal (non-emergency) operation.
As with any safety device, the emergency warning device should be able to operate independently of the state of the remaining equipment on the aircraft that it is responsible for monitoring. Therefore, it is crucial that the detection, activation, and power mechanisms of the emergency warning system be independent from on-board equipment.
It would also be advantageous to provide such an emergency warning device that may be easily retrofitted as a kit on existing aircraft already in use.
It would also be advantageous if such a device could be made to be portable so that it may be utilized by a pilot during an emergency situation without the need for retrofitting the aircraft.